Curtin detention centre no place for kids

Despite its policy of keeping children out of detention, the Federal Government is considering housing children in the Curtin immigration detention centre in Western Australia. But the Opposition and Greens say Curtin is no place to house children and families.

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ELEANOR HALL: The Federal Government says it is now considering housing asylum seeker children in Western Australia's notorious Curtin Immigration Detention Centre.

The Labor Party has had a policy of keeping children out of detention.

It re-opened the Curtin centre in 2010 but so far has only housed single men there.

The Immigration Minister says no decision has yet been made and promised that children's interests will be protected.

But the Coalition and the Greens are warning that Curtin is no place to house children and families.

In Canberra, Alexandra Kirk reports.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Immigration Department is looking into modifying a section of the remote Curtin Immigration Detention Centre so the Government can house families with children there.

Until now only single men arriving by boat have been sent to Curtin. Labor has a policy of keeping children out of detention centres. But the Immigration Minister, Brendan O'Connor, isn't ruling out sending children to Curtin.

BRENDAN O'CONNOR: No, we haven't made any decisions in relation to Curtin. And we'll explore options that I think ensure that we treat detainees with dignity and respect and provide the services they need; so there is no decision made.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: He has offered this assurance.

BRENDAN O'CONNOR: What we will do is make decisions about what's the best way to look after those that are in our care, ensuring that we protect the interests of those kids.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Having visited the Curtin Immigration Detention Centre, the Minister has this to say about the conditions under which people are housed.

BRENDAN O'CONNOR: The centres that we decide to detain people will be appropriate, and the standards we apply are as good as anywhere in the world.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Opposition's customs and border protection spokesman, Michael Keenan, has also been to Curtin and has a different view.

MICHAEL KEENAN: It's a very isolated place, Curtin. It's not a great place to be housed, I mean it's traditionally always housed just single males. I think a move away from that is definitely a retrograde step.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Opposition, like the Government, has a policy of not putting children in immigration detention centres. Mr Keenan says the Government's run out of options because of the influx of asylum seekers.

MICHAEL KEENAN: Look, if we inherit a situation where there was children in the detention network then we would prioritise their cases and deal with that as soon as possible.

Our record speaks for itself. We made sure there was no children in detention when we were in government, and there was no children in detention when the government changed in 2007. The only reason there is currently children in detention, and the only reason that we're seeing the Labor Party look at putting children in detention in places such as Curtin, is because of their complete failure to control our borders, their surrender to people smugglers and the fact that the detention network is now so full and they're left with having to take these decisions because they don't have any other option.

SARAH HANSON-YOUNG: I'm extremely concerned that the Government is moving to renege on the promise not to send children and families to Curtin Detention Centre. They said they wouldn't when they re-opened the centre back in 2010 and now it looks like this is exactly what they're warming up to do.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: You have been to the Curtin Detention Centre, have you not?

SARAH HANSON-YOUNG: Yes I have and it was definitely one of the worst detention centres that we have under this Government. And it is so isolated, there is a total lack of services, the conditions are absolutely inappropriate even for adults let alone for children.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: If the Government, is as reported, is looking at setting up a special facilities next to the detention centre which would be say, family friendly.

SARAH HANSON-YOUNG: There is nothing family friendly about locking up children in remote desert prisons. Curtin is not a place for refugees, Curtin is not a place for refugee children.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Why do you think or do you know why they'd be considering doing this?

SARAH HANSON-YOUNG: The Government is in a total bind at the moment. They promised the public that opening these inhumane centres on Manus Island and Nauru and the no advantage test would stop boats from coming. Well it hasn't. It hasn't stopped boats from coming because they're not doing anything to give people a safer option.

There are more people arriving today than there was the same time last year. And the Government has to recognise that this offshore, no advantage policy is failing.

Rather than punishing children more, making children and their families suffer, we should be finding ways to care for refugees, not demonise them just because there's an election only five months down the track.